1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data process apparatus for controlling communication by a communication unit in accordance with a generated error type, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Related Background Art
There is a direct print method of directly transferring a taken image from an imaging device to a printing device for printing (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-008831). In this method, a standard rule is defined in accordance with CAMERA & IMAGING PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION (CIPA). In the case of the imaging device and printing device according to this standard rule, transfer and printing can be executed directly between the imaging device and the printing device through the mutual connection, independently of manufacturers and models of the imaging device and the printing device.
In the process of the direct printing, the printing device repeats the process for receiving the data of only the quantity that can be received at one time, and carrying out the printing process while maintaining a communication link for data transfer, and then sequentially receiving the data corresponding to a buffer amount that becomes free after the printing process from the imaging device. Here, if an error, such as jam, paper-out or ink-out, is generated during the printing process in a printing mechanism of the printing device, a suitable process must be performed to cope with the error even in the communication unit maintaining the communication link. Conventionally, when such an error is generated, the control method of the communication unit waits for the recovery of the error while maintaining the connection between the printing device and the imaging device.
However, in the conventional method, it could not be said that flexible communication control based on the error status of the printing device was carried out when the error was generated in the printing device. For example, there is a problem in that unnecessary power is wastefully consumed because the communication is maintained even during the error recovering operation where the communication is not executed. Also, in order to eliminate the waste of power consumption, if the communication is disconnected when the error is generated in the printing device, the error recovery cannot be notified to the imaging device. Thus, there are problems in that a user itself must discriminate whether recovery of the error is attained, a connection operation must be again executed at a time of printing restart, etc. This leads to other problems in that it takes a time to restart the printing and the user needs to execute a troublesome operation in order to restart the printing.
The foregoing problems are generated in the communications between the various devices, not only between the imaging device and the printing device, but also between the imaging device and a personal computer, between the imaging device and a storage device such as a hard disc device between the personal computer and the printing device, and the like.